Officials in MI first declared a public health emergency in Flint on October 1 in response to tests that showed children with elevated levels of lead.
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The Detroit Free Press reports Guard members will be at fire stations in the city to hand out bottled water, lead-test kits and filters to city residents. The emergency manager, to cut costs, switched Flint’s water supply source from Lake Huron, supplied by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, to the more polluted and corrosive Flint River. The governor ordered Flint’s water to be reconnected to the Detroit system previous year, and declared a state of emergency last week. The state asked for the help, but Snyder has not yet made a request through FEMA for federal financial aid, an official said Saturday. In late December, he accepted the resignation of the state official whose agency, the Department of Environmental Quality, oversees water quality.
“I would pay the bill, and it wasn’t even 30 days after I paid it that I got another shut-off notice in the mail”, said Saldana, 62, a retired GM worker who lives north of downtown with his two dogs.
Gov. Rick Snyder has been getting grief from Flint residents, as well as high-profile stars like Flint-native Michael Moore and pop star Cher, for not reacting fast enough to the crisis.
“In America, no mother should have to worry that the water her children are drinking and bathing in isn’t safe”. But when asked about the billing issue on Monday, Snyder declined comment. Unfortunately, that turned out to be incorrect, Snyder said.
“The Michigan National Guard is trained and ready to assist the citizens of Flint”. “We have to deal with the crisis we have today”, he said.
He said he is responsible for what goes on in state government. Overton said he replied: “I’m not going to tell anybody”.
Gov. Rick Snyder late Tuesday activated the National Guard, and some members were expected to arrive as soon as Wednesday. Starting at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, January 12, all Art Van Furniture stores in metro Detroit, Flint and Lansing will be accepting donations of bottled water from the public. “We certainly share their concern that everyone in Flint should have safe, clean water”. To date, federal assistance has not been requested by the state. “This water crisis has been a setback”. Dave Kaiser says the weather isn’t stopping them but did cause a bit of a delay.
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“We need to focus on improving Flint for the longer term”, Snyder said in a statement. “Lead is a serious issue, so again, we’re spending a lot of time and effort looking at this and trying to partner with the people in Flint on that issue”. Here you can read the letters to President Obama and Governor Snyder.
